FR3064587A1 - PREPARATION SLEDGE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR A VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

Preparation sled (10) for assembling a vehicle, the preparation sled (10) comprises a support (2), a set of mechanical members to be assembled indexed on the support (2), and a moving part ( 7) to be assembled, the preparation sled (10) further comprises a guiding device (1) of a longiform flexible member (8) of the set of mechanical members, the guiding device (1) is a housing protection element which has an indexed base relative to the support (2) and an opposite free end of open section, the guiding device (1) further comprises a housing open towards the free end and of complementary shape to the moving part ( 7).

Description

Holder (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Société anonyme.

Extension request (s)

Agent (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Public limited company.

pA) PREPARATION SLEDGE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR A VEHICLE.

FR 3 064 587 - A1 (57) Preparation sled (10) for the assembly of a vehicle, the preparation sled (10) comprises a support (2), a set of mechanical members to be assembled indexed on the support (2), and a moving part (7) to be assembled, the preparation sledge (10) further comprises a device (1) for guiding a flexible elongate member (8) of the set of mechanical members, the guide device (1) is a protective housing which has an indexed base relative to the support (2) and an opposite free end of open section, the guide device (1) further comprises a housing open towards the free end and of complementary shape to the moving part (7).

The invention relates to a device and a method for assembling a vehicle, in particular a preparation sledge.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for assembling an electrical harness in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.

In automobile manufacturing, in a conventional manner, a set of vehicle components comprising, for example, a traction motor, is prepared, apart from the main assembly line of the vehicle and on a station designated as Mechanical Organ Station or POM thermal with its exhaust line and thermal protections, an electric traction motor and its battery, the gearbox fixed to the thermal engine and gearbox control cables fixed to the gearbox, a set of harnesses electric.

We will therefore understand by mechanical organs, throughout the text of this document, mechanical organs in the broad sense, that is to say extended to all the elements which are prepared for mounting at the POM station, in particular the beams electrical, conduits, control cables.

This set of vehicle components is pre-positioned or indexed on a support forming a preparation sledge.

It will be understood by indexed or pre-positioned throughout the text of this document, the fact that each member is positioned relatively relative to the other members, in an assembly position corresponding to final fixing positions, for example provided on the body.

This sledge is then transported from the POM station on the main assembly line, to be capped by the vehicle body.

It will be understood by styling, throughout the text of this document, the assembly operation on the main assembly line consisting of aligning the vehicle body with this preparation sledge, then docking the vehicle body on this set of vehicle members, by a relative vertical movement, generally a downward movement of the bodywork, so as to reach a position allowing the assembly of these members on the vehicle bodywork.

During one of the assembly steps following styling, an operator connects the cables of the gearbox control (in general, two cables) to a gear lever located inside of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as well as the connection of the electrical harnesses to electrical outlets inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

By cabin, throughout the text of this document, it will be understood that the internal volume of the bodywork, the access of which requires the passage of an operator or a manipulator through a location in the bodywork reserved for an opening.

Whatever the location of this gear lever or these electrical sockets inside the passenger compartment, the cables of the control or the electrical harnesses connect an organ of the assembly prepared at the POM station to part of the body delivered to the main assembly line.

On the main assembly line, during the assembly step following styling, the cables of the speed control, already fixed to the gearbox, as well as the electrical harnesses, arrive from below. the vehicle body so that their free end is connected to the gear lever and electrical outlets, respectively. The speed control cables and the electrical harnesses pass through an opening in the part of the lower bodywork, generally called a tunnel. Passing through this opening during styling, there is a risk of catching and damaging the speed control cables or the electrical harnesses.

To avoid this problem, patent EP-B-2 134 590 discloses an assembly method as previously succinctly described, using a guide device provided on the sledge to guide the cables of the gearbox control to the through the opening during the styling operation. The free ends of the cables are recovered inside the passenger compartment, after removing the guide device, in order to connect them to the gear lever. Attaching all of the vehicle's components to the bodywork on the main assembly line then includes an operation of placing a movable part for closing and sealing the opening of the bodywork.

We understand by moving part, throughout the text of this document, a part to be assembled by an operator and which can not be pre-positioned or indexed on the support of the preparation sled. For example, the movable part for closing the opening cannot be indexed on the sledge since the guide device will first pass through the opening.

This moving part must be brought by the operator, precisely at the location of the opening, while he must have his hands free to recover the free ends of the cables and connect them to the gear lever, which represents a waste of time. In addition, the ergonomics of this operation of placing the moving part is degraded, the operator being able to hold himself with only one hand and risking losing the closing element.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these problems.

To this end, the invention relates to a preparation sled for the assembly of a vehicle, said preparation sledge comprising a support, a set of mechanical members to be assembled indexed on said support, and a part. movable to assemble, this preparation sled further comprising a device for guiding a flexible elongate member of the set of mechanical members, this guide device being a protective housing having a base indexed relative to the support and one end opposite free open section, the guide device comprising a housing open towards the free end and of complementary shape to the moving part.

By elongated flexible member throughout the text of this document, it will be understood that an elongated member needs to be shaped by a guide in order to be able to hold a determined mounting position, whether by lack of rigidity of the member or because of the mounting dispersions, the assembly line, or the fabrication of the components.

Thus, this housing allows the guide device to accommodate the moving part, an assembly operator having access to this moving part through the opening of the housing. Therefore, the operator keeps his hands free and, after a styling operation, can recover this part through the passenger compartment of the vehicle, without having to bring it by his own means which saves time and improve the ergonomics of its assembly operation.

In one embodiment of the invention, the movable part being flat, the housing includes grooves partially encircling the contour of the movable part.

Indeed, these grooves are simple means of producing the housing, and allow to maintain the moving part while allowing easy sliding of the moving part, both to slide it into the housing, but also to remove it when the operator has to mount it.

In one embodiment, the housing is of elongated shape, the elongated shape defining an axis orthogonal to the open section.

Thus, this arrangement allows to accommodate a flat movable part whose largest section is larger than the open section.

In one embodiment, the grooves have a width less than the thickness of the outline of the moving part and have elastic lips.

Thus, the moving part is pinched in the housing, which allows it to not escape when the preparation sledge moves.

In one embodiment, the protective housing surrounding the elongated flexible member and defining an interior volume, the protective housing further having a decreasing cross section of the base indexed at the free end, the housing is in the interior volume.

This feature allows the guide device to protect the moving part during the styling operation, so that it does not hang in an opening in the body through which the guide device passes.

The invention also relates to a method of assembling a vehicle using a preparation sled as previously described, the method further using an assembly line docking the vehicle body on the preparation sled, the process comprising:

- A first step of positioning the mechanical members on the support, in particular the mechanical members of a traction chain, - a second step of indexing the guide device relative to the support, while conforming the 'flexible element elongated by the guide device, [0031] - a third step bringing the preparation sled to the assembly line, [0032] - a fourth styling step which lands the vehicle body on the preparation sled, the guide device passing through the opening of the bodywork, a fifth step in which the operator removes the guide device from the support from inside the body, the guide device being placed inside said body body, [0034] - a sixth step of assembling the mechanical members on the body, [0035] - a seventh step of removing the preparation sled, [0036] - an eighth step of r emitting of the guide device on the preparation sled, The method being such that it comprises:

- A first intermediate step of introducing the moving part into the housing before the fourth step, - a second intermediate step of removing the moving part from the housing between the fourth and seventh step, [0040] - a third intermediate step of assembling the moving part between the fifth and eighth step.

Thus, by this method, the moving part is transported by the guide device, and therefore by the preparation sledge, from the POM station to the vehicle cabin, the cabin advantageously being the place where this moving part must be mounted. In this way, it is clear that the operator has his hands free to recover the free end of the elongated flexible member in the passenger compartment and remove the guide device, which saves time. In addition, the ergonomics of this operation of placing the moving part is improved, the operator being able to hold himself with both hands and not risking losing the closing element.

Advantageously, this movable part is a movable part for closing the opening of the bodywork, precisely because the guide device brings the movable part exactly to the place of its mounting, which represents a time saving. operator manipulation.

In addition, the invention also relates to a vehicle assembled by the method described above.

Other characteristics, objects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description of the nonlimiting exemplary embodiments which will follow, made with reference to Figures 1 to 5 attached, which represent:

-Figure 1: a guide device according to an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2: the guide device of FIG. 1 containing the elongated flexible part,

FIG. 3: a body of a vehicle at the start of docking on the support of the preparation sled with the guide device of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4: a guiding device according to the prior art to the invention,

FIG. 5: a flow diagram illustrating an assembly method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The assembly shown in Figure 2 includes a guide device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 discloses a preparation sled 10 for the assembly of a vehicle comprises a support 2, in the form of a plate supporting a set of positioners to index in position a set of mechanical components to be assembled. A movable part 7 to be assembled is also present, for example a movable part 7 for closing an opening 4 of the vehicle body 3, this opening 4 being described in FIG. 3.

The guide device 1 guides a flexible elongate member 8 of the set of mechanical members, for example an electrical harness. This elongated member 8 may very well, as a variant, be a control cable for a gearbox, a fluid line, or any flexible elongated member 8 forming part of the set of mechanical members to be assembled.

The guide device 1 is a protective housing having an indexed base 11 described in FIG. 1, this base 11 being indexed relative to the support 2.

The indexing of the base 11 is not necessarily directly done on the support 2. In fact, the base 11 can be indexed on one of the organs of the set of mechanical organs, for example a screen protection, which itself is indexed on the support 2.

The guide device 1 comprises a free end opposite 6 to the base 11, the opposite free end 6 being of open section.

The guide device further comprises a housing 5 open towards the opposite free end 6 and of complementary shape to the moving part 7.

The movable part 7 is planar, and the housing 5 includes grooves 12 partially encircling the contour of the movable part 7.

The housing 5 is of elongated shape, this elongated shape defining an axis orthogonal to the open section.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the grooves 12, two in number, have a width less than the thickness of the contour of the moving part 7 and have elastic lips.

The assembly shown in Figure 1 includes the guide device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. There are shown the indexed base 11, the housing 5, the grooves 12, and the opposite free end 6 giving the open section. The moving part 7 slides in the grooves 12 and abuts against two stops 22, these stops forming part, with the grooves 12, of the shape complementary to said moving part 7.

Note that in this Figure 1, the guide device is a lightweight protective housing, having side openings, but in variants this box can be produced without side openings.

Figure 1 also shows an indexing system 20, 21 of the guide device 1, comprising two centering pins 20 and a support 21, the guide device 1 being indexed removably relative to the support 2 of the preparation sledge 10 previously described.

The protective housing defines an interior volume, and has a decreasing cross section from its indexed base 11 to the free end 6. The housing 5 is in the interior volume.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram according to an assembly method of the invention.

This assembly process uses the preparation sled 10 and an assembly line docking the body 3 of the vehicle on the preparation sled 10, thereby performing the styling operation.

This method comprises a first step 110 of positioning the mechanical members on the support 2 of the preparation sledge 10, in particular the mechanical members of a traction chain. This step, corresponding to the so-called POM station, is generally carried out by an operator and / or by a manipulator, and consists in positioning the mechanical members on the positioners of the support 2. For the heaviest members, such as the heat engine and the gearbox of speeds, they are coupled with the appropriate tools.

This method comprises a second step 120 of indexing the guide device 1 relative to the support 2, while shaping the flexible elongate element 8 by the guide device 1. This indexing of the guide device consists in matching the indexing system 20, 21 of the guide device 1 with corresponding positioners of the support 2.

In a variant, these corresponding positioners are produced by the mechanical members, for example holes made in a thermal protection on which the guide device is placed. Another example would be to integrate these positioners on a clip for fixing a beam.

Once indexed, the guide device 1 remains removable, that is to say that it can be removed without having to dismantle a fixing.

This guide device 1, once indexed, conforms the elongated flexible element 8. For example, the operator passes the elongated flexible element 8 through the protective housing which then surrounds the elongated flexible element 8 , giving it an inflection making it possible to orient the flexible elongate element 8 so that it corresponds to the opening 4 of the bodywork 3 during the styling operation.

This method comprises a third step 130 bringing the preparation sledge 10 to the assembly line. This step can be carried out by a conveyor, automatically. The preparation sled 10 is then synchronized with the assembly line.

This method comprises a fourth styling step 140 which approaches the body 3 of the vehicle on the preparation sledge 10, the guide device 1 passing through the opening 4 of the body 3. This approach is achieved by a relative vertical movement , generally a downward movement of the bodywork, so as to reach a position allowing the assembly of these members on the vehicle bodywork, and in particular passing the elongated flexible element 8 through the opening 4 of the bodywork 3 without risk hooking the flexible elongated element 8 to the bodywork

3.

This method comprises a fifth step 150 where the operator removes the guide device 1 from the support 2 from inside the body 3, the guide device 1 being placed inside the body 3. Indeed , at this stage the guide device 1 has passed through the opening 4, and is only accessible by the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The elongated flexible element 8 is always inside the protective casing, and therefore passed through the opening 4 of the bodywork 3. The operator then removes the guide device 1 thereby releasing the elongated flexible element 8 which can be connected, for example, to an electrical outlet or a gear lever depending on its nature.

This method comprises a sixth step 160 of assembling the mechanical members on the body 3. The preparation sledge 10 is always docked with the body 3, the operator can then fix all of the mechanical members to the body 3 , the support 2 being provided, for example, to allow accessibility to screwdrivers or other assembly tools.

This method comprises a seventh step 170 of removing the preparation sled 10. The preparation sled 10 is then again empty, all of the mechanical members remaining attached to the body 3.

This method comprises an eighth step 180 of delivery of the guide device 1 on the preparation sled 10, to be recycled and used again.

This method further comprises a first intermediate step 125 of introducing the moving part 7 into the housing 5 before the fourth step. This introduction is done manually by the operator, before the styling operation, for example at the POM station.

This method further comprises a second intermediate step 155 of removing the movable part 7 of the housing 5 between the fourth and seventh step. This step is carried out by the operator, in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The moving part 7 is then already in the passenger compartment when the operator needs to mount it.

This method further comprises a third intermediate step 165 of assembling the moving part 7 between the fifth and eighth step. For example, when the moving part 7 is the moving part 7 for closing the opening 4 of the bodywork 3, the guide device 1 must be removed before mounting the moving part 7, which closes the opening 4. On it will be noted that this movable closing part 7 comprises a sealed passage opening for the elongated flexible element 8.

Figure 3 shows the body 3 of a vehicle at the start of docking on the support 2 of the preparation sled 10 with the guide device 1 of Figure 2. There are shown the moving part 7 in the device guide 1, this guide device 1 being aligned with the opening 4 of the bodywork 3. We are in step 140 of styling. The body 3 will then descend in a vertical movement created by the assembly line, so that the guide device 1 will pass through the opening 4, taking with it the moving part 7 and the elongated flexible member 8, here a electrical harness.

FIG. 4 illustrates a guide device 1 according to the art prior to the invention. There is no housing 5, on the other hand, we can clearly see the elongated flexible member 8 shaped by the guide device 1, passing through the interior volume of the protective housing of the guide device 1.

Claims (7)

Claims 1. Preparation sled (10) for assembling a vehicle, said preparation sled (10) comprising a support (2), a set of mechanical members to be assembled indexed on said support (2), and a part mobile (7) to be assembled, said preparation sled (10) further comprising a guide device (1) of a flexible elongate member (8) of said set of mechanical members, said guide device (1) being a housing protection having an indexed base (11) relative to said support (2) and an opposite free end (6) of open section, characterized in that said guide device (1) comprises a housing (5) open towards said free end and of complementary shape to said moving part (7). 2. Preparation sledge (10) according to claim 1, said movable part (7) being planar, characterized in that said housing (5) comprises grooves (12) partially encircling the contour of said movable part (7). 3. Preparation sledge (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said housing (5) is of elongated shape, said elongated shape defining an axis orthogonal to said open section. 4. Preparation sledge (10) according to claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said grooves (12) have a width less than the thickness of the contour of said moving part (7) and have elastic lips. 5. Preparation sledge (10) according to one of the preceding claims, said protective casing surrounding the elongated flexible member (8) and defining an interior volume, said protective casing having a decreasing cross section of said indexed base (11 ) at said free end (6), characterized in that said housing (5) is in said interior volume. 6. A method of assembling a vehicle using a preparation sled (10) according to one of the preceding claims and an assembly line docking a body (3) of said vehicle on said preparation sledge (10), said method including: • a first step (110) of positioning said mechanical members on said support (2), in particular mechanical members of a traction chain, • a second step (120) of indexing said guide device (1) relative to said support (2), while shaping said flexible elongated element (8) by said guide device (1), • a third step (130) bringing said preparation sledge (10) onto said assembly line, • a fourth step ( 140) of “styling” which approaches said body (3) of said vehicle on said preparation sledge (10), said guide device (1) passing through an opening (4) of said body (3), • a fifth step (150 ) where the operator removes said guide device (1) from said support (2) through the interior of said body (3), said guide device (1) being placed inside said body (3), a sixth step (160) of assembling said members mechanical on said body (3), • a seventh step (170) of removing said preparation sled (10), • an eighth step (180) of putting said guide device (1) back on said preparation sled (10) , characterized in that said assembly method comprises: • a first intermediate step (125) of introducing said moving part (7) into said housing (5) before said fourth step, • a second intermediate step (155) of removing said moving part (7) from said housing (5 ) between said fourth and seventh step, • a third intermediate step (165) of assembling said movable part (7) between said fifth and eighth step. 7. Vehicle characterized in that it is assembled by a method according to claim 6. 1/3